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2020 Atlantic hurricane season (MG)
Check out the animation of this season created by FCX! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoDLpNis8lk The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the least active Atlantic hurricane season since 2014 in terms of named storms, and was the first season since 2009 to feature no subtropical cyclones. However, it was a very notable season, with several storms impacting land. The season officially began on June 1, 2020, and ended on November 30, 2020. These dates historically describe the period each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin and are adopted by convention. For the first time since 2014, no tropical cyclones formed before the official start of the season. It was the first season since 2017 to feature a tropical cyclone in June. The first named storm, Arthur, formed on June 21. The last named storm, Josephine, dissipated on November 2. Despite the low storm count, the season was highly destructive, being ranked as the third-costliest tropical cyclone season on record, behind 2005 and 2017. This high value can be attributed mainly to Hurricanes Bertha and Dolly, which caused catastrophic damage in Louisiana and New England, respectively. Another storm, Hurricane Isaias, struck the Brownsville area in October, causing tons of damage and killing many people. Most forecasting agencies called for an above-average season, citing warm ENSO-neutral conditions and a fairy warm main development region (MDR). But an El Nino unexpectedly developed in May, which hampered actual seasonal activity. However, the El Nino was not very strong, which likely resulted in the many damaging storms that occurred this season. Seasonal Forecasts Seasonal Summary ImageSize = width:800 height:220 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/06/2020 till:30/11/2020 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/06/2020 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_≤_39_mph_(≤62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117_km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(118–153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111–129_mph_(178–208_km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_130–156_mph_(209–251_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_≥_157_mph_(≥252_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:21/06/2020 till:24/06/2020 color:TS text:"Arthur (TS)" from:11/08/2020 till:17/08/2020 color:C2 text:"Bertha (C2)" from:23/08/2020 till:31/08/2020 color:C2 text:"Cristobal (C2)" from:24/08/2020 till:26/08/2020 color:TD text:"Four (TD)" from:26/08/2020 till:07/09/2020 color:C4 text:"Dolly (C4)" from:02/09/2020 till:07/09/2020 color:TS text:"Edouard (TS)" from:08/09/2020 till:11/09/2020 color:TS barset:break barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip barset:skip from:12/09/2020 till:17/09/2020 color:C1 text:"Fay (C1)" from:10/09/2020 till:13/09/2020 color:TS text:"Gonzalo (TS)" barset:break from:21/09/2020 till:26/09/2020 color:TS text:"Hanna (TS)" from:06/10/2020 till:11/10/2020 color:C3 text:"Isaias (C3)" from:28/10/2020 till:02/11/2020 color:C2 text:"Josephine (C2)" bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/06/2020 till:30/06/2020 text:June from:01/07/2020 till:31/07/2020 text:July from:01/08/2020 till:31/08/2020 text:August from:01/09/2020 till:30/09/2020 text:September from:01/10/2020 till:31/10/2020 text:October from:01/11/2020 till:30/11/2020 text:November TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(618,30) text:"Saffir–Simpson scale)" Overall, the season's activity was reflected with a low cumulative accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 86. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. Systems Tropical Storm Arthur During mid-June, a broad Central American Gyre formed over Nicaragua. After emerging off the coast, it slowly began to organize despite heavy amounts of dry air. Shortly after, a low-pressure area developed, and further organization occurred as the system moved over the Yucatan Peninsula. With conditions being expected to be more favorable in the Bay of Campeche, the National Hurricane Center marked the system for potential development. After it moved off the Yucatan, a core rapidly developed, and a recon flight overnight confirmed a closed center. Thus, advisories on Tropical Depression One were initiated. Initially, the system failed to intensify further due to some slight northerly wind shear. Twenty-four hours after formation, a huge burst of convection occurred and another recon flight found tropical storm force winds, justifying an upgrade to Tropical Storm Arthur. Arthur strengthened slightly to peak with winds of 50 mph on June 23. Arthur then made landfall south of Tampico, Mexico at this intensity. Arthur rapidly weakened over land, becoming a remnant low on June 24. Hurricane Bertha On July 31, a tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa. The system quickly organized and almost became a tropical depression south of Cabo Verde, but increased wind shear caused the system to become disorganized again. No notable development occurred afterward until the system approached the Bahamas, where shear was much lower. Gradual organization occurred until the wave became a tropical storm on August 11, and was assigned the name Bertha. Due to its broad structure, Bertha was initially slow to intensify. Bertha continued towards the gulf of Mexico, where it passed just offshore the Florida Keyes as a strong tropical storm. Due to the warm water present in the gulf, Bertha's intensification trend accelerated slightly, and a banding eye began to develop by August 14. Later that day, it was upgraded to a hurricane, the first of the season. While rapid intensification was anticipated, the eye popped in and out of satellite imagery as the system struggled against dry air. However, an eye rapidly cleared on August 15 as Bertha attained Category 2 strength. Twelve hours later, Bertha reached peak intensity with winds of 110 mph, just short of major hurricane strength. At this intensity, Bertha made landfall in Davant, Louisiana. Continuing inland and slowing down as currents slacked, Bertha made another landfall the following day in Lacombe, Louisiana as a strong tropical storm. Due to increasingly hostile conditions, Bertha weakened to a tropical depression on August 17 near Jackson, Mississippi and was declared a remnant low later that day. The remnants of Bertha later re-intensified to tropical storm force due to baroclinic forces and brought severe weather to much of the Great Lakes area, mostly in Ohio. Hurricane Cristobal Another tropical wave emerged off the African coast on August 17. The system slowly organized as it moved westward, developing into Tropical Depression Three on August 23. Due to favorable conditions, it rapidly intensified into Tropical Storm Cristobal. Cristobal quickly developed a microwave eye and reached hurricane strength late on August 24. Continued rapid intensification was forecast, and Cristobal reached initial peak strength as a minimal Category 2 hurricane the following day. Shortly after, Cristobal underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, weakening the storm back to Category 1 strength. No further intensification was forecast due to increasing shear, but Cristobal's eye shrunk as it began to intensify again. Cristobal peaked early on August 27 as a moderate Category 2 hurricane. After peaking, Cristobal's eye eroded as shear began to take over the system. Cristobal accelerated northeastward due to the influence of an upper level trough, weakening below hurricane strength on August 30, and becoming extratropical the next day. Tropical Depression Four On August 21, a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa. While no development was generally expected, the system moved over Cabo Verde while organizing. A sudden increase in organization led to the declaration of Tropical Depression Four on August 24. The National Hurricane Center anticipated some further organization to minimal tropical storm strength, but cloud tops warmed as Four interacted with a Saharan air layer mass. Gradual weakening occurred, and Four became a remnant low on August 26. The remnants persisted until they stalled near the Lesser Antilles, where they were absorbed by Hurricane Dolly. Hurricane Dolly On August 23, a tropical wave quickly followed the wave that would become Tropical Depression Four. It took slightly longer to organize due to interaction with Four, but when it weakened to a remnant low, shear lessened, and Tropical Depression Five formed on August 26. It was slow to intensify, but it intensified into Tropical Storm Dolly on August 27. With TD Four having cleared a path through the SAL, conditions looked near ideal for Dolly to intensify. Gradual intensification occurred, and an eye developed on August 29, signifying that Dolly had reached hurricane strength. The eye then suddenly contracted as rapid intensification occurred, and only twelve hours later, Dolly was the first major hurricane of the season, reaching an initial peak intensity of 120 mph on August 30. Dolly's fragile eye fell apart as it interacted with the Lesser Antilles, as well as some vertical wind shear, with the storm weakening to a Category 1 hurricane on September 1, and the wind field began to expand. Dolly's southern eyewall came ashore in northeastern Puerto Rico, which also hampered re-organization slightly. As Dolly moved away from the greater Antilles and toward the Bahamas, conditions became more favorable for strengthening. After re-attaining Category 2 strength, Dolly was once again a major hurricane on September 3. Dolly rapidly intensified, developing a rather large eye as it moved northward due to a nearby upper-level low. Dolly peaked late on September 3, with incredible winds of 150 mph, making it the strongest hurricane of the season. Dolly maintained peak strength for almost a day before entering cooler sea surface temperatures, causing its cloud tops to warm. Nonetheless, Dolly weakened slowly due to favorable shear conditions. Dolly accelerated as it approached the United States, making its first landfall in Orcacoke, North Carolina with winds of 120 mph. It made a second landfall near Stumpy Point with winds of 115 mph, and a third landfall near Corolla at 100 mph. Dolly then briefly re-emerged over the Atlantic, before making a fourth landfall in Wachapreague, Virginia as a Category 1 hurricane. Dolly moved over the Delaware bay before making a final landfall in Fortescue, New Jersey as a strong tropical storm. Dolly then slowed down as a trough to the north prevented further progression, and was eventually carried eastward, moving directly over New York City on September 7, before becoming post-tropical. Dolly's remnants merged with the trough and caused severe weather across much of Nova Scotia. Tropical Storm Edouard A tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa on August 30. Little development occurred until the system entered favorable conditions at the beginning of September. On September 2, Tropical Depression Six formed. Due to some wind shear, the system failed to strengthen for over a day as the main convective mass was pushed west of the center. Despite the persistent shear, a convective burst occurred and the system re-organized, and was named Tropical Storm Edouard late on September 3. Edouard gradually intensified to attain peak winds of 60 mph, before entering an area of higher shear, which began to eat away at the storm. Edouard nearly dissipated on September 6, but one final burst of convection allowed it to maintain minimal tropical storm strength for another day. Edouard weakened to a remnant low on September 7. Hurricane Fay A tropical wave was first noted south-west of Tropical Storm Edouard on September 5. Due to interaction with Edouard, the wave failed to organize until they moved away from each other, and it found more favorable conditions east of the Leeward Islands. As a result, Tropical Depression Seven formed on September 8. It slowly organized and intensified into Tropical Storm Fay the next day. It intensified to an initial peak intensity of 45 mph before weakening due to an increase in wind shear, and devolved into a remnant low on September 10, despite models forecasting it to remain a TC. Fay remained a remnant low through the day before a burst of convection and an increase in organization meant it was re-classified as a Tropical Depression late on September 11. Fay began to intensify more quickly this time as sea surface temperatures were warmer, and a banding eye began to develop. Fay attained hurricane strength on September 14, and peaked with winds of 85 mph as it moved northeast, before it began to interact with a trough. Fay gradually weakened over the next few days, and fully merged with the trough on September 17. Tropical Storm Gonzalo A weak area of low pressure developed in the central Caribbean sea during September 7-8. No development was expected due to strong wind shear, but a sudden increase in organization occurred on September 9, accompanied by a low-level center on September 10. Thus, Tropical Depression Eight formed South-east of Jamaica. It struggled to intensify as it moved west, intensifying into Tropical Storm Gonzalo on September 11. Gonzalo intensified slightly to peak winds of 45 mph before the wind shear got even stronger, removing the convection from the center. Gonzalo was sheared to a remnant low on September 13, and the remnants dissipated over western Cuba the next day. Tropical Storm Hanna A tropical wave was first identified moving into the Caribbean sea on September 15. While conditions in the eastern caribbean were hostile, conditions in the western portion would be more favorable for TC development, and this forecast verified when Tropical Depression Nine formed south of Cuba on September 21. It quickly intensified into a tropical storm and was named Hanna. Hanna reached an initial peak intensity of 45 mph before making landfall in Guanimar, Cuba. Interaction with Cuba's rugged terrain weakened Hanna to a tropical depression, but it re-intensified over the warm waters of the gulf of Mexico. It was projected to rapidly intensify into a Category 1 hurricane, but Hanna struggled to intensify due to its broad structure. Hanna reached peak winds of 50 mph and proceeded to move ashore in Penascola, Florida at that intensity. Hanna briefly stalled before a ridge began to push it northeast. Hanna became a remnant low on September 26, but was tracked by local weather authorities until it moved offshore. Hurricane Isaias A tropical low developed in the western caribbean sea on October 2. It organized steadily as it passed north of Honduras and Nicaragua, and on October 6, it rapidly developed into a Tropical Storm and was named Isaias. Isaias briefly underwent rapid intensification, and made landfall in San Pedro, Belize, with winds of 65 mph. Moving over the Yucatan cost Isaias some wind speed but tightened its somewhat broad core. Isaias moved offshore and instantly resumed intensification, becoming a hurricane on October 8. Isaias rapidly intensified to Category 2 strength, but underwent an eyewall replacement cycle. Initially forecast to weaken before landfall, Isaias's eye cleared once again and it rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane, peaking with winds of 120 mph as it made landfall on South Padre Island, Texas. It maintained this intensity for its second landfall in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Isaias weakened as it moved inland, and dissipated over the Nuevo Leon region on October 11. Hurricane Josephine After over two weeks of inactivity, a low pressure area developed over the Caribbean sea on October 21. Struggling to organize for several days due to relentless wind shear, the system began moving northwest on October 25, moving into more favorable conditions. After narrowly avoiding landfall on Honduras, a tropical depression developed. It quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Josephine. Due to moderate wind shear, Josephine was slow to strengthen, but it became a hurricane on October 31. It reached an initial peak intensity of 85 mph before making landfall in Guajimico, Cuba. It weakened only slightly due to its fast motion, and resumed intensification in the Bahamas, peaking as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds on November 1, whilst making landfall on Grand Bahama, and the Abaco Islands, which were still recovering from Hurricane Dorian the previous year. Josephine began interacting with an area of high pressure, causing it to begin a hook towards the west. During this, Josephine became an extratropical cyclone on November 2, before moving inland over Georgia. Season Effects Storm Names The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2020. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 2026 season. This was the same list used in the 2014 season. The name Isaias replaced Ike after the 2008 season, but was not used in 2014. Therefore, it was used for the first (and only) time this year. Retirement On April 6, 2021, at the annual session of the RA IV Hurricane Committee, the names Bertha, Dolly and Isaias were retired, and they will never be used for another Atlantic hurricane. They were replaced with Becky, Dorothy, and Ibrahim, respectively, for use in the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:MasterGarf Category:Slightly Below Average Category:2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Category:2020 Atlantic hurricane season (MG)